Open English Translation NUM Chapter 16

16 Now Korah (son of Yitshar, son of Kehat, son of Levi) along with Datah and Aviram (sons of Eliav) and On (son of Pelet)[ref] 2 rebelled against Mosheh along with 250 respected, Israeli community leaders. 3 They got together and challenged Mosheh and Aharon, “You think you’re great but the entire community is sacred and has Yahweh among us, so why do you consider yourselves more important than Yahweh’s community?”

4 When Mosheh heard that, he fell to his knees with his face to the ground 5 and responded to Korah and his supporters, “Tomorrow morning Yahweh will show who’s sacred and who belongs to him. Yahweh will present his chosen leader. make known who is to him and the holy one, and he will present to him, and whom he chooses he will present to him. 6 So Korah and supporters, bring incense burners 7 and put burning coals and incense in them, and bring them to Yahweh’s presence tomorrow. Then the man that Yahweh chooses will be the sacred one. It’s you Levites who think you’re great.”

8 Then Mosheh told Korah, “You Levites, please listen. 9 Isn’t it enough for you all that Yisrael’s god separated you from the rest of the Israeli community to present you to him to serve in Yahweh’s residence and to stand in front of the gatherings to minister to them? 10 Yahweh has presented you and your brothers, the other Levites to approach him. Are you all wanting the priesthood now also? 11 So it’s Yahweh that you and your group are opposing, not really Aharon that you’re all grumbling about.”

12 Then Mosheh summoned Eliav’s sons Datan and Aviram but they refused, “We won’t come. 13 Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in the wilderness, without also making yourself the ruler over us? 14 What’s more, you didn’t bring us into a land flowing with milk and honey or give us an inheritance of land and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of those Kanaanites so that we can defeat them? No, we won’t come.”

15 That made Mosheh very angry and he told Yahweh, “Don’t accept their grain offering. I’ve never taken even one donkey from them or done anything bad to any of them.”

16 Then Mosheh told Korah, “You and all your group, must appear in front of Yahweh tomorrow, as will Aharon. 17 Each man must bring his pan with incense burning in it and present it to Yahweh—all 250 of you as well as Aharon. 18 So the next day, they all brought their pans with burning coals and incense in them, and they stood at the entrance of the sacred tent, as did Mosheh and Aharon. 19 plus Korah had also assembled the entire community to oppose Mosheh and Aharon at the entrance to the sacred tent. Then Yahweh’s brilliance appeared to all the community 20 and Yahweh warned Mosheh and Aharon, 21 “Get away from all those people, then I can destroy them in an instant.”

22 However, Mosheh and Aharon fell to their knees with their faces to the ground and interceded, “God, you are the god who gives life to everything. Will you be angry at the entire community because of the sin of one man?” 23 So Yahweh told Mosheh, 24 “Tell the people to keep back from the homes of Korah, Datan, and Aviram.”

25 Then Mosheh walked to the homes of Datan and Aviram, and the Israeli elders followed behind him, 26 and he told the people, “Please keep back from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything of theirs, in case you get caught up in their disobedience.” 27 So the rest of the Israelis kept back from the residences of Korah, Datan, and Aviram. Meanwhile, Datan and Aviram had come out of their tents, and were standing at the entrances with their wives and children.

28 Then Mosheh said, “This is how you’ll all known that it was Yahweh who selected me for this role—it’s never been something that I aspired to: 29 If all these men die a natural death like most people, then Yahweh didn’t choose me, 30 but if Yahweh does something new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and their homes and tents and all their possessions, and if they then go down alive into their grave, then you’ll all know that it was because these men rejected Yahweh.”

31 As soon as Mosheh had finished speaking, the ground below those men split open 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their homes and every man who backed Korah along with all their property. 33 They went down alive to their grave, along with everything they owned, and then the ground covered over them and they vanished from the community. 34 All the people who were around them fled away screaming because they were afraid of getting swallowed by the earth as well.

35 Then Yahweh sent fire that consumed the 250 men who were presenting incense.

36 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 37 “Tell the priest Eleazar (Aharon’s son) to collect the incense pans from those who were burnt, and scatter the coals far away because they’re sacred. 38 The pans of those who rebelled at the expense of their own lives must be hammered into thin plates to be attached to the altar, because they presented them in front of Yahweh and now they’re sacred, and they’ll become a reminder for the Israelis. 39 So the priest Eleazar took the bronze incense burners that had been presented by those men who’d been burnt up, and they were hammered into a plating for the altar 40 for a memorial for the Israelis just as Yahweh had told him via Mosheh. That’s a reminder that no one who’s not a descendant of Aharon is allowed to approach Yahweh with incense burners, so they don’t end up like Korah and his supporters.

41 However, the next day the Israelis complained about Mosheh and Aharon, “It was you who killed Yahweh’s people.” 42 But as the community gathered there against Mosheh and Aharon, they looked across to the sacred tent, and wow, the cloud covered over it and Yahweh’s brilliance appeared. 43 Mosheh and Aharon went over to the front of the sacred tent, 44 and Yahweh told Mosheh, 45 “Get away from this gathering and then I’ll finish them in an instant.”

But Mosheh and Aharon fell to their knees with their faces to the ground, 46 and Mosheh told Aharon, “Take the incense burner, and put fire in it from the altar and incense, and take it quickly to the people and make atonement for them, because Yahweh’s rage is already burning—the plague has begun.” 47 So Aharon took it as Mosheh had told him and ran into the middle of the people. Wow, the plague had already begun, so he burnt incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between those who were dying and those still alive, and the plague was restrained. 49 There were 14,700 people who died from the plague, in addition to those who’d died due to Korah’s rebellion. 50 Then Aharon returned to Mosheh at the sacred tent entrance, as the plague had been stopped.